Top 10 popular channels and marketing trends for 2023 in gaming on YouTube in Russia.

Similarweb reports that YouTube ranks third in Russia with a traffic volume of 5.67%, behind the USA (20.87%) and a few other regions (60.88%). Additionally, Mediascope experts have noted an increase in the amount of time that Russian users spend on YouTube in the second half of 2022. On a daily basis, around 40% of citizens aged 12 and above visit the platform from desktop and mobile devices.

Despite blocking monetization for Russian channels, advertising on YouTube remains highly sought-after for advertisers and influencers interested in commercial projects, including gaming and related activities. The list of popular bloggers engaged in the gaming segment is currently expanding. Alongside gaming channels, such as let’s players, reviewers, and streamers, the YouTube Entertainment category has also become highly in demand.

QB Agency specialists have examined the leading Russian YouTube channels operating in the gaming industry. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Indicators such as views and the number of subscribers

When assessing a YouTube channel, the primary indicators to consider are the number of content views and subscribers, both of which can be found by visiting the channel’s profile. However, the number of subscribers can be a relative indicator and only gives a general impression of the channel’s popularity. A channel may have many subscribers but still receive few views. Therefore, it’s important to consider both factors when evaluating a channel’s success.

Other indicators, such as geo metrics, gender, and age, should be requested from the channel owner. These metrics can help determine if a channel’s audience aligns with a brand’s target customers. If the parameters meet the requirements of a campaign, integration can be agreed upon. Additionally, the channel owner can provide engagement statistics for specific content, such as likes, comments, and reposts, to give advertisers a complete understanding of the success of an advertising integration.

Monthly tops of Russian YouTube channels are published by analytics services based on this data. Let’s explore who is currently leading in the gaming segment.

TOP 10 Russian gaming channels

The following ratings by the number of subscribers and content views of channels on the popular gaming platforms YouTube and Twitch were presented by WhatStat analysts who assess account activity.

It can be observed that some channels are leading in both lists with slight variations. Marmok, who mainly reviews PC games, has been the subscribers’ leader for several years, although his channel does not rank in the TOP10 for engagement. This might be due to the fact that the gamer uploads considerably less content than other channels, with only 2-3 videos appearing every month. Nonetheless, these videos gather millions of views, hundreds of thousands of likes, and tens of thousands of comments. The gamer’s content includes reviews of GS:GO, GTA 5, Minecraft, and other games. In addition, the Coffi Channel, which ranks 8th in content views, features videos about GTA.

In both lists, the second spot is occupied by Dmitry Kuplinov, also known as Kuplinov Play. The channel primarily features gameplay walkthroughs of various computer games, as well as horror videos, streams, and interesting facts. This diverse range of content has helped the channel secure the top position not only in Russia but also in the global YouTube ranking’s top 50 since 2013.

Another noteworthy channel is Kompot, created by gamer Roman Paramonov. While he may have fewer subscribers than the aforementioned gamers, he leads in terms of content views. The Kompot channel is dedicated to the game Minecraft and features engaging content that Roman uploads daily.

Eduard Yanovich Perets’ YouTube channel, EdisonPts, has held a consistent third place ranking for multiple years. Perets, a Russian blogger, streamer, and let’s player, creates daily videos featuring Minecraft gameplay. Like Roman Paramonov, Perets’ channel offers engaging content that has developed into more than just a channel, but a show where Perets and his active subscribers interact with the game process.

Furthermore, there are other notable YouTube channels that are focused on Minecraft such as EugenBro, MrLololoshka (Roman Filchenkov), Hades [VyacheslavOO], and DakPlay. On the other hand, FROST, a popular YouTube blogger, started with Minecraft videos, but eventually diversified his content by including reviews on other games and video blogs. Meanwhile, HomeAnimations produces cartoons about tanks that are thematically related to popular games like Armored Warfare, World of Tanks, and World of Warships. The channel uploads new content 2-3 times a week, and their videos receive at least 500-600 thousand views in the first 24 hours.

It is worth noting the channel windy31 owned by Alexey Koval, a letsplayer, for its unique approach. Unlike other channels that diversify their formats within a single account, Alexey has divided his content into different profiles based on themes. windy31 (9.53 million subscribers) is dedicated to gaming, Windyai (5.73 million subscribers) focuses on challenges, Chaosist (1.02 million subscribers) showcases experiments, and Comrade Kuyash (614 thousand subscribers) is a platform for animated content. While the latter three channels are not very active currently, windy31 posts new content every day, garnering an average of 500 thousand views.

The ratings presented here illustrate several key observations. Firstly, the top positions in YouTube gaming are dominated by established channels, with no room for newcomers. Secondly, there has been a shift in content trends in 2023, as creators experiment with new formats, blurring the lines between traditional categories such as letsplayers, reviewers and streamers. Many content creators are branching out into video blogs, and other genres, adding variety to advertising formats and making integrations more seamless and natural.

However, gaming channels are just one aspect of YouTube’s vast content spectrum. Depending on the game genre and developer’s needs, other placement options can be explored on the platform, such as entertainment and music channels, vlogs, challenges, and more.

At QB Agency we conduct ongoing YouTube integrations for Genshin Impact in Russia. Our case shows that successful game promotion is not limited to gamers alone, but also involves collaborating with other creators, such as movie and cartoon reviewers, thematic travel vloggers, and lifestyle influencers. Thus, YouTube influencer marketing must be approached from a broader perspective, taking into account audience demographics, channel performance, cost, format, and other factors. This makes the task of successful promotion complex and requires the expertise of specialists.

The following list showcases the top 10 games in the world with the highest influencer marketing budgets allocated for YouTube.

Now, let’s take a look at some figures. According to Buzz Guru’s platform specialists, influencer marketing worldwide is expanding at an exponential rate. They estimate that the industry’s worth will grow to a staggering $17.4 billion. Furthermore, the experts have determined that the highest promotion budgets involving opinion leaders are allocated to gaming, sports, and cryptocurrency services. The brands that invested the most money in YouTube promotions during 2022 have made it to the TOP 10 list.

The game that emerged as the clear winner on the list was RAID: Shadow Legends, with a whopping $30 million spent on influencer marketing in 2022. RAID appeared in 2,560 YouTube channels, garnering a total of 9,036 mentions, 8,149 of which were advertising.

PUBG, another popular game, claimed the second spot with 846 YouTube commentators mentioning it, resulting in a total of 9,266 mentions in 2022, of which 8,383 were advertising. This indicates PUBG’s preference for promoting through its most loyal YouTube channels.

In third and fourth place were entertainment services ZEE5 (movies, music, etc.) and FOX Sports respectively. They were followed by Chinese social network WEVERSE, streaming service Voot, and Onefootball football columnist (5th-7th place).

The eighth spot went to the world-famous role-playing fantasy game Genshin Impact, which spent $12.1 million on YouTube influencer marketing. Advertising mentions of the game numbered 1,516, while non-advertising mentions were close behind at 1,332, highlighting its popularity among gamers.

The ninth and tenth positions were occupied by SeatGeek Tickets ticket service and the Binomo cryptocurrency application.

In other words,

Influencer marketing on YouTube, including in Russia, remains an effective and relevant tool that will always be in high demand, particularly within the gaming industry and related fields. The reason for this is quite simple: YouTube influencers not only accumulate an enormous number of views and hold sway over their subscribers, but they also set trends. The gaming preferences of a blogger can inspire their followers to try out new games themselves.

However, identifying suitable influencers from a vast pool of gaming and entertainment content creators is no easy task. That’s why it’s crucial to trust professionals with this responsibility and stay up-to-date with the latest advertising industry news to make informed decisions.